New OCI Reality: Law Students Less Cocky, 40 Fewer Firms Recruit at Illinois
As law firms trim their summer associate programs or eliminate them entirely, law students are feeling the squeeze.
Law firms are cutting back on the number of campuses they visit to recruit summer associates and reducing the number of available slots. The days of old where summer associates were treated to a steady diet of perks and almost certain job offers have gone by the wayside, leading to a change in attitude.
At the University of Illinois law school, the number of law firms interviewing on campus is expected to drop from a high of about 100 two years ago to about 60 this year, the Chicago Tribune reports.
Tony Waller, assistant dean for career planning and professional development at U of I’s law school, told the Tribune his school is suffering because many law firms are cutting back on the number of campuses they are visiting. “We’ve had large national firms tell us they can only go to three or four law schools,” he said. “For Chicago firms, that means [University of] Chicago, Northwestern and Michigan.”
Meanwhile, Northwestern is seeing more law firms that are still unsure of their hiring needs for their summer 2010 summer associate programs. As a result, the school may offer a second on-campus interview program sometime in the spring.
Law students realize the job market is tight, and they are focusing less on the perks of summer programs in on-campus interviews, the New York Law Journal reports. “There’s not a cocky one in the bunch,” one interviewing partner told the publication.
While students suffer, law firms will benefit from the opportunity to be selective. “We think the average quality of the summer class will be higher, even if the class is smaller,” Cravath hiring partner Rowan Wilson told the New York Law Journal.
The New York Law Journal says these firms have confirmed plans to cut summer associate hiring for 2010:
• Cravath, Swaine & Moore, planning to hire fewer than half its usual number of students. The firm hired 160 summer associates in 2008 and 120 this year.
• Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, also planning to halve its hiring. The firm hired 225 summer associates this year for all of its offices.
• Weil, Gotshal & Manges, which isn’t specific about the numbers, but says it plans to hire fewer summer associates. Those who get offers will probably have their start dates pushed back to 2012.
• Kelley Drye & Warren, also planning to hire fewer associates, although it hasn’t settled on a number.
